A can of worms has been uncovered at the public hearing of the House of Representatives committee probing shameful abuse of power and failure of moral authority of the worst kind at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

Here are highlights of corrupt practices disclosed by the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of NDDC at the probe panel:

NDDC PROBE

• “The Chairman House Committee brought out an emergency training programme for N6.4billion claiming the job belongs to the Speaker. He said that the Commission should pay him N3.7billion, but we refused.” – IMC
• “A company called Candour, owned by a serving Senator claimed they initiated statutory payments from LNG. In the letter, they collected $28million and exchanged the money at N360 to $1, at a time CBN was exchanging for N225 to $1. They were also paid 20% of $28million.” – IMC.
• A consulting firm that was contracted to collect money from International Oil Companies (IOCs) on behalf of NDDC was being paid N1billion monthly.” – IMC
• “In 2019 NDDC in just 7 months awarded a total of 1, 921 emergency contracts valued at N1.07trillion, against its annual budget of N400billion of the same year.” – IMC
• “Part of what the forensic audit has uncovered is that a particular project was awarded 55 times.” – IMC
• “NDDC awarded 2 projects to run from 2017 – 19. 1 – Water Hyacinth emergency – N800million was budgeted but N10.3billion was spent. 2 – Desilting – N2billion was budgeted, but N37billion was spent.” -IMC
• “Between 2016 and 2019 emergency contracts of over N2trillion were awarded by NDDC under the supervision of both Chairmen of NASS Committees.” – IMC
• We have faced so much pressure from some members of NASS to pay for 132 jobs which have no proof of execution. We have refused to pay N6.4billion for those jobs. We believe an IMC set up as a cleansing structure cannot become part of the old story of rot.” – Prof Professor Kemebradikumo Daniel Pondei, the acting MD NDDC IMC